For many Brazilians, the year 2000 has begun in the worst possible way.

The rain which dampened new year celebrations in Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo has continued, torrentially at times, for the past four days leaving large areas of the heavily-populated south-east under water.

Heavy rain and landslides have left at least 16 people dead and 14,000 homeless since the beginning of the year.

The President of Brazil, Fernando Henrique Cardoso, has been visiting areas badly affected by severe flooding.

In mountainous areas of the state of Rio, landslides have swept away the precarious wooden shacks that are home to many of the poor.

Further north, in the state of Minas Gerais, rivers have burst their banks, leaving entire towns cut off from the outside world, their inhabitants forced to take canoe rides towards shelter on higher ground.

Stranded holiday-makers

Brazilian summers are always wet, and the damage caused by these rains is nowhere near as serious as the disaster that occurred in Venezuela last month.

But the bad weather has come at a particularly difficult time.

Millions of Brazilians travel at Christmas and New Year, and the return home has been intensely frustrating.

The main highway between Rio and Sao Paulo has been blocked in several places by flooding and landslides, and some motorists have spent all night stuck in traffic jams.

Brazil's normally efficient long distance bus network has also suffered, with huge delays and angry passengers demanding their money back.